Growing Smalls: May 2018

Saturday

Do you have a Freeloader?

It's Memorial Day weekend and I regret I didn't write this sooner because I know so many of you could really use the Freeloader child carrier. But at the same time, I wanted to really get to know this lightweight compact carrier because it has to be one of the coolest child carriers I've ever seen! I couldn't be more ecstatic to give you the run down!

The Freeloader Child Carrier is a lightweight (5.8 pounds to be exact), compact, super easy to use, portable child carrier. But the quality materials and the design are top notch, which is part of the reason why we wanted to share it with you! The Freeloader was developed to carry kids up to 80 pounds! The Freeloader is for your toddlers, your tired kiddos, and even your kiddos with disabilities. The Freeloader makes sure families don't have to slow down for a kiddo that can't keep up; that families can keep on with their adventures without having to worry about a stroller or a baby on the hip. The Freeloader is designed to evenly distribute the child's weight on the carriers hips so not to cause any back pain or tension as well.

We are a very busy family from the trails in our own back yard to the parks in town and adventures on vacation. But kids get tired quickly and it can suck to carrying a baby on your hip while we're out and about. Until I found the Freeloader, I really figured I would just stay home with Baby Kolton while the rest of the family continued on with some summer adventures. Of course we could utilize a stroller or a wagon but those take up so much room in the car, and I really couldn't imagine pushing a stroller up and down some of the trails around here. We would definitely end up carrying the stroller and that's just frustrating to say the least. It's just not gonna work!

The Freeloader is compact enough I can actually just leave it in the car so it's always there when we make spur of the moment plans. We can take it anywhere! Especially all those crazy trails! We can truly utilize the Freeloader on any adventure and not have to worry about baby Kolton getting too tired or the trails being too difficult.

Perfect pockets for all our small
necessities.

We have been testing it out with Tator, her mom my best friend and Maison, all gave it a try so I could take some pictures for all of you. The Freeloader is easy enough even Maison could get it all on plus there's a ton of zipper pockets for things like bug spray, sun screen, wallet, keys, phone, ect.

Taylor was able to crawl right on and she was easily buckled even though at first I forgotten to adjust the straps so they appropriately fit her. The adjustable straps on the 5 point harness with foot stirrups is great! I really feel like the kids are well supported, comfortable with the padding, and safe which is of course the most important quality.

Most of all, the Freeloader goes places a stroller wont without slowing us down and that's important for us as a busy family! Be sure to check out Freeloader for yourself at the following links;

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Hevy duty construction!

Thick well sculpted padding for
the best comfort!

We received one or more of the products mentioned above in exchange for an honest and non-biased review. While we have been compensated for our review with the product, our reviews our own opinion based on our personal experience and realize our experiences may be different than our readers. This page may contain affiliate links in which we receive a small compensation for your purchases. This allows us to continue to offer you our services.

Wednesday

Make up for Mom on the Go- Mineral Hygienics

If it wasn't for "easy" make up I wouldn't wear any at all. I swear I won't become that "new mom" who goes out in her pajamas or forgets more often than not to brush her hair. But make up? Ok, let's play this out. Baby Kolton's diaper is dry- check! Fed- Check! diaper bag packed- check! Wallet in purse- check! I have shoes and an appropriate shirt on- Check! crap Kolton's diapers wet again... Fixed now what was I doing? See the issue here? So I'll say it again if it wasn't for easy make up, I wouldn't wear any at all.

That's why I love Mineral Hygienics. I've used their products before and was excited when they said we could feature them on Back Road Momma.

So what did we get? We received a Minteral Hygienics Mini Starter Kit which includes 2 shades of Mineral Hygienics SPF foundation, a full coverage kabuki brush, and a detailed how-to guide. Someone was doing some smart thinking when they included 2 shades into these kits. Although I'm currently using the lighter shade, my skin tone will change the more I'm outside and it's only a matter of time before I need the darker foundation. I love that these kits include both!

The kabuki brush that comes with these kits are amazing! When I say high quality I really REALLY mean it with this brush! Check out this picture with two brushes. Nope, they didn't send me two in this order. Can you tell which one is over 5 years old?! I wouldn't have been able to either except I know which one I grabbed out of my make up bag. Even though I had ran out of Mineral hygienics foundation years ago, I continued to use the brush for everything bronzer and other face powders and it's held up as good as new.

With the kabuki brush (because a good brush is really essential) it takes me just about 2 minutes to put on the mineral hygienics foundation and covers really well. My dark circles and acne issues are pretty well covered while still having a very natural look instead of caked on like liquid foundation. The mineral foundation is easy to apply, lightweight, covers really well, and last all day regardless how much running I do. Yesterday I spent a couple minutes putting on my make up before an early doctors appointment. Then throughout the day, Baby Kolton and I went shopping, ran erans, did housework, outside chores, and a school function for Jeramiah. The only thing I had to reapply was my eye liner and chap stick! My foundation was set and still covering well!

I had no intentions of using this picture of me here but I figured after a long day it really wasn't too bad. This was 12 + Hours after applying the Minteral Hygienics foundation.

Mineral hygienics is a wonderful foundation for a busy mom on the go! Be sure to head over to their website and find your perfect shade.

Use code "MOMMA" and get 10% off your order!

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Instant Homemade Ice Cream with Zoku Ice Cream Maker

The temperatures are rising and the kids are almost out for summer. So what's better than homemade ice cream? How about homemade ice cream that can be made in just a couple of minutes. That's right no turning and churning and "patiently" waiting!

Do you remember our post on the Zoku Pop Maker? GUESS WHAT!! They also have an ice cream maker! And we got to try it out!

So turning and churning right? I thought it was so neat when grandpa would make home made ice cream when we were little. But the ice cream makers by hand can get tiring and they are all kinda noisy because your moving that ice around the canister. This perfect ice cream bowl has neither of those issues.

How's it work? First you need your inner bowl frozen so they recommend you leave it in the freezer for 12 hours. We store ours in the freezer beside the pop maker so they are both always ready when we are. Once your bowl is frozen you add your contents and frequently stir with the heavy duty plastic spoon they provided. Or of course you can use your own. I've done that too. But just remember to stir frequently and I try to remember to scrape the edges to allow the ice cream to freeze faster. In about 10 minutes your ice cream is frozen and ready to enjoy! Sure beats waiting hours for the machine to freeze it or running all the way into town to spend money and get ice cream.

The inner frozen bowl also places inside the clear plastic bowl so your hands won't get cold while your enjoying your treat. It's really a great well thought concept.

My favorite detail about the Zoku Ice Cream Maker is we can make any flavor and any time! (assuming we have the ingredients).

I received a package of Ice Cream in my PMS Package Subscription Box and the Zoku Ice Cream bowl is so easy to use! The convienence and ease to use along with the whole ice cream factor makes this another one of our favorite kitchen accessories! Be sure to check out Zoku and all their products at the following links. They sure are becoming a household favorite here!

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Thursday

Fair Advantage Game for All Ages- Shark Bite

Anyone wanna go fishing? We got another game for family game night where you can do just that!
Well the table top version anyways!

The monstrous table top shark has eaten all the fish and you have to roll the die to see how many fish to catch right out of the sharks mouth! There's 12 total sea creatures in the shark to be caught and the wrong one will wake up the shark as he will spring up and shut his mouth! Whoever has the most fish when he closes his mouth wins!

Shark Bite is totally simple and very easy! Rated for ages 4 and up but it's basic enough with a little help I think younger children could easily enjoy the game. I caught the kids outside playing this one at the table today. We have all ages of kids over so this game is perfect for our house. We have a wide age range of kids between our own and our little visitors this is a great game for our house.

Shark Bite is also one of those games that it doesn't really matter how old you are or how much skill you have, it's a fair game for everyone because the ending is entirely up to the shark. I think this gives the littles a fair advantage which anymore is kinda nice. No chances for cheating and that reduces the risk of fighting. Hey, every little bit helps! And that's what makes it a perfect game for the entire family!

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We may have received one or more of the products mentioned above in exchange for an honest and non-biased review. While we have been compensated for our review with the product, our reviews our own opinion based on our personal experience and realize our experiences may be different than our readers. This page may contain affiliate links in which we receive a small compensation for you click on. This allows us to continue to offer you our services.

4 Popsicle Recipes you can't live without! Any flavor!

A few weeks ago we received a ZOKU Quick Pop Maker which we absolutely love! (Read that review here) I love how when we keep it in the freezer it takes just minutes to make a popsicle. So I've been doing some searching to find the easiest, quickest, and best popsicle recipes out there.
I've narrowed it down to 4! With these 4 recipes you can seriously create thousands of different popsicles. With summer coming up, who wouldn't love a cool treat! And with the ease of the ZOKU you can have it in minutes!
Easy Yogurt Pop
1 Cup yogurt flavor of choice

2 Tablespoons of honey for sweetening- you may use more or less depending on taste

Add chopped fruit if desired and blend to mix honey and yogurt.

I used Chabani's Strawberry Rhubarb low-fat Greek Yogurt Flip which was so good! It has some crunchy graham cracker pieces mixed in with creamy frosting chunks. It really added some texture to my popsicle

Jello Popsicles

1 (6g) unsweetened Kool-Aid powdered drink mix

1 (3oz) box of Jello gelatin

3/4 cup granulated sugar

1 cups boiling water

1 cups cold water

Mix together Kool-aid, jello, and sugar well. This recipe is too large to use all at once in a ZOKU maker. So divide the powder combination in half and set one half aside for another time.

Stir in 1 cup of boiling water to dissolve powder combination well. Stir in cold water. Pour into molds.

If using traditional popsicle molds, do not divide and separate and use 2 cups of boiling water and 2 cups of cold water.

Simple Pudding Popsicle

1 pkg of Jello Instant pudding

2 cups cold milk

1 cup thawed cool whip

Beat pudding mix and milk in medium bowl with whisk for 2 minute

Stir in cool whip

Pour into Zoku

Easy Any Juice Pops

1/3 cup sugar

2 cups fruit juice

In a small saucepan, bring sugar and 1/3 cup of water to boil over high heat stirring until sugar dissolves. Transfer to a 4-cup liquid measuring up or medium bowl and refrigerate until cool, about 30 minutes. Stir in juice and pour into pop maker.

Or..... You can cheat like I did and use a packet of Crystal Light... This packet I found on Amazon and it makes 2 gallons! But I only added half the water and it made a super sweet (sugar free) Rasberry popsicle. TOO TOO GOOD!

Metal Meat Claws for the Grill from Cave Tools

We grill a lot! And by a lot I mean hubby even grills when it rains whether that means moving the grill slightly in the garage, under the porch, or toughing it out in the rain. Don't worry... We haven't burnt the house down (yet). Just kidding!

Lately, I've been looking for anything to make hubby's day a little easier and grill tools are right up his ally. Anything to do with the grill or being outside is perfect for him so I knew Cave Tools would be a hit.

I ordered him these metal meat claws from Cave Tools and was really surprised at how sturdy and well made they actually are. The slightly curved claw is made of a thick and strong stainless steal making them great for picking up large pieces of meat out of the crock pot or off the grill.

These made lifting the chicken out of the crock pot SOOOOOO much easier yesterday when I made grandma's sticky chicken. The black plastic handle is also easy to hold and grip on to.

Hubby used them this weekend when he grilled and was able to shredded the meat within about a minute compared to about 5 to 10 that it would have taken with a large fork and knives. Yes, they are sharp even considering the very straight edged cut design. If you have been following along, you know my kids are pretty reckless so I'll be keeping the box they came in to store them so one they don't get lost and two the kids don't reach in a drawer and scrape the snot out of themselves. Anyone else's kids just go 90 to nothing some days?

These metal meat claws definitely do what they are supposed to do! Turns out I'll be using them too even though they were "for hubby". Be sure to check them out at the following links and think about Dad... Is your Dad a griller? Or is Mom the cook of the house? These are great for both of us!

Use the following coupon code for 15% off your order: MEATCLAW15

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Saturday

Catch the Fox he's stealing the chickens!

What's the fox hiding? Chickens in his pockets! Catch the Fox he's stealing your chickens! Catch the Fox is for 2-4 players ages 4 and up but like most of the Goliath Games we've received I think it could be played ages 2 and up with a little help.

How to play: Roll the dice to see how many chickens you place in the fox's pockets. Once you place your chickens in his pockets you pet the fox “press his head” and then it's the next persons turn. At any time the Fox can lose his pants and the chickens go scattering! Hurry up and fill up your chicken coop to see who wins!

Catch the Fox is good for all ages, but the older boys really can swipe the chickens faster than the girls which may lead to some hurt feelings and “that's not fair” playing methods. This game is best played with kids in close age range for sure!

I like the element of surprise in Catch the Fox. You never know when his pants are going to fall tossing the chickens all over the table. It's like a fun little surprise and a race to see who can catch the most chickens.

Overall Catch the Fox is a great game to add to family game night. We enjoy games that are quick and easy because that allows each of the kids to pick a couple of games they want to play and we can work through all the games together.

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Thursday

Treats For a Month- Greenies Dental Treats from Chewy

Greenies Dental Treats are one of my favorite treats for Tally girl so when I seen that Chewy.com had a 36 ct variety pack with different flavors I had to get that in my shopping cart ASAP! The variety pack has 3 – 12 oz packs (36 treats total) which is sure to last her all month, even if the kids sneak an extra treat in.

I didn't know Greenies Dental Treats came in so many different flavors! This is kinda cool. The variety pack of course offers the Original and Fresh flavor but there's also Blueberry so we had to get those out and let Tally try them since I've only given her Fresh and Original in the past.

They're a hit! She loves them too! I love the Greenies Dental treats because they take her a little while to chew down. Tally will take her treat off to a corner somewhere quiet and take her time with it. I like that she's not just gobbeling them up in a couple seconds and then asking for more.

So what makes Greenies stand out in dental treats? For me, they are made right up the road in KC which is kinda neat but they really do help Tally with her bad doggie breath! Oh my gosh I don't know what she gets into in the woods but she usually comes back smelling less than pleasant. Greenies are made with all natural ingredients, they're easy to digest and the texture/shape really help clean her teeth and maintain healthy gums. Oh and they smell good!

Check out Greenies Dental Treats and Chewy.com at the following links! Oh and don't forget your 20% coupon on your first autoship order!

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Cutest Pairing Speakers- My Audio Pet

Did you guys see these on Good Morning America the other day? You know the part where they show a couple of really cool products and give everyone a great big discount?!

Well we have been playing with the My Audio Pet's for a couple weeks now and they have been a big hit around here! We received the Ampedphibian and MoozArt from My Audio Pets. These are the cutest, tiny, pairing speakers ever!

They come with a USB charger and you can pair them together through Blue Tooth. Then pair them to your device like phone or tablet. The kids used both and it was pretty easy switching devices. And they are actually pretty loud with some really decent sound. I was really surprised when we first turned them on and actually turned them down!

I think their neat because the kids have been using them up in the yard and will place them in different places so that they have the most sound coverage. Or they would place them on different sides of the trampoline and really jam out! Plus they could put them on the outside of the trampoline and continue to use them because they have a built-in mic so they have hands-free options!

So far... These speakers are even holding up. Maybe the rounded design? I don't know but I've seen them dropped now several times! My kids are a little reckless so if they can stand up against my clan then they should be good to go!

My Audio Pet has several different designs and some other pretty cool products. Be sure to check them out at the following links;

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Wednesday

Mommy's secret snack- Cosmos Creations Premium Puffed Corn

What's your go to snack? Like craving something sweet, crunchy, a little salty, but light.... Something with a bunch of flavor but not a million calories or junk like trans fat.

With summer break just around the corner, I've been looking for snacks for the kids that are easy to grab as we run out the door to the pool or other summer adventures. But Ohhhhhh and this one's really hard to share with the kids. We've all heard of moms that keep snacks in the freezer in a bag of peas or moms that eat a candy bar in the bathroom, right? Well.... My bags of Cosmos Creations Premium Puffed Corn are ummm in my bedroom closet.... Yup, I'm one of "those Moms" at the moment and I'm OK with that!

Cosmos Creations are incredible! Can I say that twice? Cosmos Creations are incredible! We received Maple Pecan, Salted Caramel, Chocolate Espresso, and Peanut Butter but I'll definitely be out looking for other flavors! The Maple Pecan actually actually had little pieces of pecan throughout the sweet maple glazed bite sized puffed corn. Salted Caramel and Peanut Butter are also both glazed with incredible flavor! These things are addicting!

Ok, so think about the Gourmet Christmas Popcorn gift baskets that are ridiculously expensive so you really only see them during the holiday months... This tops that! I love popcorn but I can't really eat it because it all seems to get stuck in my teeth. Puffed corn has all the same great flavor plus there's nothing to get stuck in my teeth and each bite is fluffy and easy to bite.

Check out the Chocolate Esperesso! Look at all that flavor baked on!

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Playing Outdoors with Zoom Ball Hydro

A few weeks ago we got this Zoom Ball from Goliath Games and the kids have been dying to try it out! I finally gave in and heck I even got out there with everyone to play with it. But if you look really really close, see the word "Hydro" on the box? Yup, you can unscrew that blue middle ball figure and a stinking water balloon goes in there! Oh my goodness!!

The package comes with 5 water balloons which is enough to get started but that's about it. We luckily had some quick fill water balloons from Amazon that I love! I'll stick that link below.

The kids love the Zoom Ball! In case you haven't seen one before, each end has two handles on two ropes that when spread send the blue ball canister to the person on the other end. Hubby and I got carried away and were trying to see who could send it back and forth the fastest without it hitting the handles. Yea yea, that's not really how your supposed to play this one but hey it held up!

The boys had fun trying to send it to each other and hoping the water balloon inside would bust. Look at their faces! What goofs! The funny part is, you never really know when the balloon was going to break so they would send it back to the other as fast as they could!

Overall, I wish it had more water balloons with it, but balloons are cheap that's no big deal! The Zoom Ball Hydro got everyone outside playing together and laughing when the balloons bust, or when the boys were trying to let it land right in front of their faces without hitting the handles. I should have recorded that one for ya! LOL

The kids have played with the Zoom Ball several times now and it's still holding up against my monsters. I'm sure it's going to get plenty of use over the summer! Check out the Zoom Ball Hydro at the following links and don't forget the balloons!

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Scooping up poo with Doggie Doo

Holy smokes Goliath Games really cracks me up! Check out Doggie Doo and you guessed it, the dog takes a doo doo! Yup, that's the concept, make your puppy poop!

I really do love giving the kids new games because I love seeing them work together to learn the concepts, put it together, and at least giving it a couple rounds. They usually play well together for at least a little while. Well, until they don't.

Jeramiah and Layla dug out Doggie Doo which is a super easy concept 2-5 player game. The dog farts, and farts, and farts until woops, there's poop! You make the puppy poo and the first to 3 poops win! This one's a really easy game if your needing something for the little kids. The box says 4 and up but I would just think it depends on your child. I do wish it came with more poop. Crazy right? But have you heard that my kids are sometimes turds? Maison decided he wanted to play too and went right up to the dog and tried shoving the poop in rather than reading the directions. He broke one of the squishy poops right off the bat so it doens't make farting noises or suck through as easy as the others. Figures... Now I'll be buying more poop. Oh my goodness these kids!

Anyways.... Anyone need an easy game? Check it out! We're adding it to our game chest!

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Get kids to engage in reading with I See Me Books

Baby Kolton has already taught us to be thankful for even the little things, like blowing bubbles. Sounds silly right? When he was 8 days old his newborn screening results came back and his doctors office was rushing us to a childrens hospital for further testing. When they tell you not to google a condition that your child may or may not have, just don't do it. Listen to me because that was the worst thing I could have ever possibly done. I put myself into a complete hell for two weeks while we waited to know the final results. While we waited at the lab, the secretary was blowing bubbles with the kids because they were overbooked and understaffed that day. We were there for what seemed like forever with our 8 day old baby just waiting. While she was blowing bubbles with the kids, many of them really truly ill, all I could think of was my baby may never get to blow bubbles.

"Thank you, Lord, for Everything", with all the prayer in the world, our baby boy is healthy and will get to blow bubbles one day!

The week before last I ordered this book from I See ME, so that one day I can explain to him how great-full we are to be blessed with him and how he should never take anything for granted no matter how simple or small it may seem.

I love the I See Me books! This one for example, "Thank You, Lord, For Everything" are personalized several times with Kolton's name and other details about who he is. In both the books we were able to add a picture and dedication. I wrote in his baby book "For you, We Prayed" and I put that in this book as well. We prayed for him before we were pregnant and we prayed for him with his testing, and we will continue to pray for him that he is a strong confident responsible person one day.

Look at the bird in the window "Time to wake up, Kolton". I love that these books are written so that as he get's older he will realize that the bear in this one is actually him! What a great way to encourage kids to read!

"Kolton's Radio Flyer Adventure" is also so stinking cute!! I was able to personalize his hair and skin color, what toy he was riding around on (I designed the wagon was cute), and of course that adorable cover page.

Kolton's Radio Flyer Adventure is about a little boy who just want's to play outside with his wagon but its a rainy day so he has to use his imagination for their great adventure! This book is too cute! His name is in it so many times from the sign at the land of adventure to his wagon and leaves in a tree. So much detail! Of course Kolton is the main character in the story and saves the day!

All three of the big kids have been taking turns reading to Kolton. These books are so special the way they are personalized, they are encouraging everyone to pick them up and see how Kolton saves the day! I love how engaged these books encourage the kids to be with reading to their baby brother.

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Getting our outdoor gear together starting with Helens Kit

The kids are really starting to spend more and more time outside which is great! But they are reckless! I'm constantly losing dishes due to them getting left outside and then broke either by them or the elements of the weather. It really REALLY makes me crazy some days!

So when I came across Helens Kit, I knew I needed a set of these stainless steel drinking cups. They are dishwasher safe, unbreakable, won't rust, chip, melt, or fade, and I can put vinyl on them! So I can personalize each cup and know who left theirs outside irresponsibly. Plus, they are easy to clean! Our plastic cups are constantly getting tea rings left in them because of the ridged interior. These are smooth and easy for even Miss Layla to wash.

Layla using her Helens Kit cup while painting outside. I
Love that if she leaves it outside it's not going to be ruined
by the time they bring it in!

These cups are great! The stainless steel keeps the temperatures of the drinks cooler longer and the indestructible design is perfect for my kids!

The mesh bag that they come with makes these perfect to throw them with the camping gear as well! These are a must for our busy house and are totally something we would buy again!

Click here for a 20% off coupon

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